IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/taf/regstd/v32y1998i7p639-652.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Cathedrals in the Desert? Transnationals, Corporate Strategy and Locality in Wroc ^ aw

Author

Listed:
  • Jane Hardy

Abstract

HARDY J. (1998) Cathedrals in the desert? Transnationals, corporate strategy and locality in Wroc ^ aw, Reg. Studies 32, 639-652. This paper examines the relationship between the strategy and restructuring of transnational corporations, patterns of foreign direct investment and the transformation of the regions of East and Central Europe. Different views of the impact of foreign direct investment are interrogated by taking a case study approach which focuses on 12 significant brownfield and greenfield investments in the Wroc ^ aw region of Poland. The paper examines the relationship between their mode of entry and institutional engagement. Economic impacts are explored through looking at both the internal restructuring of firms and the wider linkages created in the local region. The paper concludes that, whilst the internal impact on individual firms has been marked, local linkages are not significant. Questions are raised about the effects of competition on indigenous firms. It is suggested that FDI has created 'cathedrals in the desert'. The paper argues that, rather than creating core or dynamic regions, FDI simply produces regions that contain a larger than average number of firms which have been made competitive. HARDY J. (1998) Des oasis dans le desert? Les societes transnationales, la strategie des societes et la localisation dans la region de Wroc ^ aw, Reg. Studies 32, 639-652. Cet article examine le rapport entre la strategie et la restructuration des societes transnationales, la distribution de l'investissement direct etranger et la transformation des regions de l'Europe centrale. A partir d'une etude de cas qui porte sur dix projets etablis dans les zones friches et sur les terrains vierges dans la region de Wroc ^ aw en Pologne, on etudie divers points de vue quant al'impact de l'investissement direct etranger. Cet article examine le rapport entre leur strategie d'implantation et le partenariat institutionnel. On examine les retombees economiques en considerant a la fois la restructuration interne des entreprises et les liens externes crees au sein de la region. Pour conclure l'article affirme que malgre l'importance de l'impact interne sur des entreprises individuelles, les liens locaux s'averent moins marques. On pose des questions concernant l'impact de la concurrence sur les entreprises autochtones. On laisse supposer que l'investissement direct etranger a creedes "oasis dans le desert". L'article soutient que, plutot que de creer des regions centrales ou dynamiques, l'investissement direct etranger n'etabit que des regions qui comprennent un parc d'entreprises competitives qui depasse la moyenne. HARDY J. (1998) Kathedralen in der Wuste? Ubernationale Organisationen, Korporative Taktik und Ortsgegend in Wroc ^ aw, Reg. Studies 32, 639-652. Dieser Aufsatz untersucht die Beziehung zwischen der Taktik und Umstrukturierung ubernationaler Korperschaften, Muster auslandischer Direktinvestitionen und der Transformation der Regionen Mitteleuropas. Es wird verschiedenen Ansichten uber die Auswirkung auslandischer Direktinvestitionen das Wort erteilt, indem ein Fallstudienansatz benutzt wird, der sich auf zehn bedeutende Investierungen in Altbaugebieten und im Grunen in der Wroc ^ awer Gegend Polens konzentriert. Der Aufsatz untersucht das Verhaltnis zwischen der Modalitat ihres Beitritts und institutioneller Verpflichtung. Wirtschaftliche Auswirkungen werden sowohl mittels Betrachtung der internen Unstrukturierung von Firmen als auch der weitreichenderen Verknupfungen in der Ortsgegend untersucht. Der Aufsatz kommt zu dem Schluss, dass zwar eine ausgepragte interne Auswirkung auf individuelle Firmen feststellbar ist, ortliche Verknupfungen jedoch unbedeutend blieben. Fragen uber die Wirkung der Konkurrenz auf einheimische Firmen werden besprochen. Es drangt sich der Gedanke auf, dass auslandische Direktinvestierungen (Foreign Direct Investment - FDI) "Kathedralen in der Wuste" geschaffen habe. Der Aufsatz tritt dafur ein, dass FDI statt dynamischer oder Kernregionen einfach solche schaffe, die eine uberdurchschnittliche Anzahl von Firmen enthalten, die wettbewerbsfahig geworden sind.

Suggested Citation

  • Jane Hardy, 1998. "Cathedrals in the Desert? Transnationals, Corporate Strategy and Locality in Wroc ^ aw," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 32(7), pages 639-652.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:regstd:v:32:y:1998:i:7:p:639-652
    DOI: 10.1080/00343409850119526
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00343409850119526
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1080/00343409850119526?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Fröbel,Folker & Heinrichs,Jürgen & Kreye,Otto, 1981. "The New International Division of Labour," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521287203, January.
    2. Ash Amin & Michael Dietrich (ed.), 1991. "Towards a New Europe?," Books, Edward Elgar Publishing, number 13.
    3. Hans-Werner Sinn & Alfons J. Weichenrieder, 1997. "Foreign direct investment, political resentment and the privatization process in eastern Europe," Economic Policy, CEPR, CESifo, Sciences Po;CES;MSH, vol. 12(24), pages 178-210.
    4. David Lipton & Jeffrey D. Sachs, 1990. "Creating a Market Economy in Eastern Europe: The Case of Poland," Brookings Papers on Economic Activity, Economic Studies Program, The Brookings Institution, vol. 21(1), pages 75-148.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Stefan Lutz & Oleksandr Talavera & Sang-Min Park, 2008. "Effects of Foreign Presence in a Transition Economy: Regional and Industrywide Investments and Firm-Level Exports in Ukrainian Manufacturing," Emerging Markets Finance and Trade, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 44(5), pages 82-98, September.
    2. Gál, Zoltán, 2019. "Az FDI szerepe a gazdasági növekedés és a beruházások területi differenciálódásában Magyarországon [The foreign direct investment role in Hungarys economic growth and territorial differentiation of," Közgazdasági Szemle (Economic Review - monthly of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences), Közgazdasági Szemle Alapítvány (Economic Review Foundation), vol. 0(6), pages 653-686.
    3. Gergő Medve-Bálint, 2014. "JCMS Special Issue 2014: Eastern Enlargement Ten Years On: Transcending the East-West Divide? Guest Editors: Rachel A. Epstein and Wade Jacoby," Journal of Common Market Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 52(1), pages 35-51, January.
    4. Stoll, Michael (ed.), 2004. "Strukturwandel in Ostdeutschland und Westpolen," Arbeitsmaterial der ARL, ARL – Akademie für Raumentwicklung in der Leibniz-Gemeinschaft, volume 127, number 311, July.
    5. Tomasz Geodecki & Richard Grieveson & Doris Hanzl-Weiss & Olga Pindyuk & Oliver Reiter, 2022. "Monthly Report No. 02/2022," wiiw Monthly Reports 2022-02, The Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies, wiiw.
    6. Pier Luigi Sacco & Guido Ferilli & Giorgio Tavano Blessi & Massimiliano Nuccio, 2013. "Culture as an Engine of Local Development Processes: System-Wide Cultural Districts I: Theory," Growth and Change, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 44(4), pages 555-570, December.
    7. Y. H. Dennis Wei, 2015. "Network Linkages and Local Embeddedness of Foreign Ventures in China: The Case of Suzhou Municipality," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 49(2), pages 287-299, February.
    8. Balazs Vedres & Carl Nordlund, 2017. "Dis-embedded Openness: Inequalities in European Economic Integration at the Sectoral Level," Papers 1711.02626, arXiv.org.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Mikael Olsson & Mikael Lönnborg, 2018. "Trade and foreign direct investment in the Baltic Sea Region, 1990-2015: lessons from attempts at regional integration in post-communist Europe," Working Papers 18005, Economic History Society.
    2. Schmieding, Holger, 1991. "From socialism to an institutional void: Notes on the nature of the transformation crisis," Kiel Working Papers 480, Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel).
    3. Martin Raiser, 1993. "Old habits die hard," Intereconomics: Review of European Economic Policy, Springer;ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics;Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS), vol. 28(4), pages 170-177, July.
    4. Franz, Wolfgang, 1994. "Central and East European labor markets in transition: Developments, causes, and cures," Discussion Papers 19, University of Konstanz, Center for International Labor Economics (CILE).
    5. Walsh, Patrick Paul & Whelan, Ciara, 2001. "Firm performance and the political economy of corporate governance: survey evidence for Bulgaria, Hungary, Slovakia and Slovenia," Economic Systems, Elsevier, vol. 25(2), pages 85-112, June.
    6. Raúl de Arriba Bueno, 2006. "Private or Market Economy in Bulgaria? An Institutional Approach to the Bulgarian Transition," Economic Studies journal, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences - Economic Research Institute, issue 2, pages 71-89.
    7. Blangiewicz, Maria & Charemza, Wojciech W., 1999. "East European Economic Reform: Some Simulations on a Structural Vector Autoregressive Model," Journal of Policy Modeling, Elsevier, vol. 21(5), pages 535-557, September.
    8. Alain de Crombrugghe & David Lipton, 1993. "The Government Budget and the Economic Transformation of Poland," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-1993-111, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    9. Bennett, John & Dixon, Huw David, 1995. "Macroeconomic equilibrium and reform in a transitional economy," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 39(8), pages 1465-1485, October.
    10. Saul Estrin & Jan Hanousek & Evzen Kocenda & Jan Svejnar, 2009. "The Effects of Privatization and Ownership in Transition Economies," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 47(3), pages 699-728, September.
    11. Blangiewicz, Maria & Charemza, Wojciech W., 2001. "East European economic reform: Some simulations on a structural VAR model," Journal of Policy Modeling, Elsevier, vol. 23(2), pages 147-160, February.
    12. Commander, Simon & Coricelli, Fabrizio, 1992. "Output decline in Hungary and Poland in 1990-91 : structural change and aggregate shocks," Policy Research Working Paper Series 1036, The World Bank.
    13. Leitzel, Jim, 1998. "Goods Diversion and Repressed Inflation: Notes on the Political Economy of Price Liberalization," Public Choice, Springer, vol. 94(3-4), pages 255-266, March.
    14. Noorderhaven, Niels G., 1995. "Transaction, interaction, institutionalization: Toward a dynamic theory of hybrid governance," Scandinavian Journal of Management, Elsevier, vol. 11(1), pages 43-55, March.
    15. Paul Brenton & Francesca Di Mauro & Matthias Lücke, 2014. "Economic Integration and FDI: An Empirical Analysis off Foreign Investment in the EU and in Central and Eastern Europe," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: INTERNATIONAL TRADE, DISTRIBUTION AND DEVELOPMENT Empirical Studies of Trade Policies, chapter 7, pages 125-151, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    16. Bennett, John & Estrin, Saul & Hare, Paul, 1999. "Output and Exports in Transition Economies: A Labor Management Model," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 27(2), pages 295-317, June.
    17. El-hadj Bah & Josef C. Brada, 2014. "Labor Markets in the Transition Economies: An Overview," European Journal of Comparative Economics, Cattaneo University (LIUC), vol. 11(1), pages 3-53, June.
    18. Bennett, John & Maw, James, 2000. "Privatisation and market structure in a transition economy," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 77(3), pages 357-382, September.
    19. Velasco, Andres, 2000. "Debts and deficits with fragmented fiscal policymaking," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 76(1), pages 105-125, April.
    20. Bertocchi, Graziella & Spagat, Michael, 1997. "Structural uncertainty and subsidy removal for economies in transition," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 41(9), pages 1709-1733, December.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:taf:regstd:v:32:y:1998:i:7:p:639-652. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Chris Longhurst (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.tandfonline.com/CRES20 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.